BY PATRICK HYUN WILSON
p a tr ic k w@ ne wsr e v ie w.c o m
Fluidity of sound A Tribe Quartet create ‘Black American Music’
A Tribe Quartet blends a variety of genres to keep its music and live performances fluid. PHOTO COURTESY OF A TRIBE QUARTET
A Tribe Quartet is canceling jazz. “Definitely. I think it’s important Although the band won the Jazz category in because it’s a dialogue, musically,” the 2020 SAMMIES, they feel bittersweet about McKissick added. the nomination due to the term’s controversial Communication is key to A Tribe history. Quartet’s sound. They describe their songs The first “jazz” album was recorded by a as a story in which everyone contributes. group called the Original Dixieland Jass Band, “I’m just looking for the energy,” a group of white men from New Orleans whose Kuvakos said. “That we’re all together in leading member Nick LaRocca would later claim the same exact place, rising and falling at the to have invented the musical genre despite its same time and we’re telling the same story.” deep roots in the African-American communities The story they seek to tell is intertwined at the time. in the self-made label of Black American “Anything that came from America, musically, Music. They point to musicians such as started with Negroes,” said David McKissick of A Miles Davis who famously avoided using Tribe Quartet. “I mean it’s literally Black music.” the term “jazz” to describe his own sound. Because of that history, the group prefers the “We’re constantly trying to develop term Black American Music, or BAM, new shit all the time … I’m to describe their works. trying to experiment with “I mean we’re taking new sound, like Afrobeat, aspects from like rock, which is something we “I’m just looking for hip-hop,” McKissick said. haven’t used within “‘Melancholy’ for example, our ensemble yet,” the energy. That we’re all has that cool boom-back McKissick said. “I together in the same exact kind of throwback feel.” want to be, what’s place, rising and falling at the “Melancholy” is the word? Genre an atmospheric track fluid. Musically same time and we’re telling the that will show up on ambiguous.” same story.” the band’s first album. Their musical Supported by a groovy Eric Kuvakos ambiguity led to a rhythm that fluctuates from guitarist, A Tribe Quartet mixed reception when a slow-paced head-bobber to a they learned they were raucous double time, the nearly nominated in the Jazz 10-minute song is pierced throughcategory. out by wild improvisations. “It was bittersweet. I appreciate Born and bred in the Sacramento music scene, that Sacramento is recognizing us. I wish Zehrin Sims, Ellwood Allen, Eric Kuvakos we could change the name of the category, and McKissick met at jam sessions at the now but it’s not the end of the world,” McKissick closed Graciano’s Speakeasy and formed A Tribe said. “We can use the opportunity to educate Quartet in 2019. people on why we shy away from the term.” Their name served as both a reference to the Allen has other ideas. rap group A Tribe Called Quest and spoke to their “It just means that A Tribe Quartet has to ideological view of the tribal nature of music. start their own awards show where we have “We all had such varying personalities and our own category for BAM,” Allen said. Ω opinions, political, religious, whatever you want to call them,” Allen said. “It kind of shows in the music, at least in my opinion.” 28
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SN&R
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07.01.20